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March 15, 2001  Explosions at World's Largest Offshore Oil Platform Leads to 11 Deaths, Structure Sinking

 
A series of explosions rocked a Petrobras Offshore Oil Platform on March 15. Two workers were killed immediately and nine others were trapped in a submerged compartment; they were later presumed dead. Despite efforts to save the platform by pumping in nitrogen and pumping out water, the structure slowly sank below the ocean five days later. The P-36 rig inaugurated last year supplied 80,000 barrels per day or 5 percent of Brazil's total oil output. The principal risk from the incident was the possibility that the 395,000 gallons (1.5 million liters) of crude and diesel stored in pipelines and tanks could leak. Petrobras sent 11 boats to the area, some to place floating absorption barriers around the rig, located in Brazil's Campos Basin 80 miles off the coast in Rio de Janeiro state. 

Scientists said the environmental impact would likely be negligible. The lighter diesel oil tends to evaporate in a few days, while the crude oil would separate and the heavier sediment would sink. ``It would be different if it were in a bay or on the coast, but the open sea is relatively sterile, and fish can just avoid it,'' said Paulo Cesar Rosman, professor of coastal and oceanographic engineering at Rio's Federal University. Petrobras reiterated that deep-ocean well heads were well sealed, thus preventing a larger disaster.

The cause of the accident is currently being investigated. A Petrobras committee assigned to the task is expected to release its report on April 20, 2001. Another investigation ordered by Petrobras President Henri Philippe Reichstul found it was acceptable the head office had not been notified of the fault at the platform. ``There is no indication of foul play or deliberate concealment of information,'' Petrobras director of exploration and production Jose Coutinho Barbosa told a news conference.  Symptoms that there was something wrong with the platform is apparently documented in daily drilling reports in the days leading up to the tragedy. The bulletins said, in part, "pressurization in the platform vent system. Likely cause is blockage of flame damper.'' "A shutdown in production will be necessary to substitute it since it is very near the gas burners in the flame tower,'' the bulletins advised. Petrobras directors said the managers of the platform had ordered a replacement for the faulty part and were waiting delivery. In the meantime a drain had been installed to prevent buildup of pressure in the tank that eventually blew up.  The directors also said the chief and several supervisors had the authority to shut down production at any time. Coutinho Barbosa said the company did not know if the faulty item played a part in the accident. A commonly discussed theory is that natural gas accumulated in the support column of the platform where the blasts occurred, and water later got into other compartments, causing the sinking of P-36. AcuSafe will share the conclusions of the investigation as they become available.

Chronology of Petrobras Incidents
Petrobras  has suffered from a string of incidents over the past several years. The following table presents a chronology of those accidents over the past 10 years, with an emphasis on recent and/or significant occurrences.  

References

Petrobras' web site contains further press releases about the tragedy. See http://www.petrobras.com./ingles/pop/padrao/p36_ri.htm.

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